Daily Short Stories from The Penned Sleuth

The cold hard truth I want to start this article off with is gonna either hit you hard or you already know. Most writers will ultimately fail in their pursuit of writing. It’s terrible to think such talent will go to waste, but the fact of the matter is, you need more than talent to make it in any career, not just writing. Let me start with the first step to being the best writer you can be and make a career out of your work.

There are many intricacies when it comes to writing a first chapter, but you want to know how to make it great. I am going to give ten pieces of advice that will help you get your reader interested, gripping them with curiosity so they keep reading your novel. Let’s jump into it!

You have no doubt felt it weighing on you. That ever-present pressure that keeps you from progressing, that burden which stands in your way. The writer’s burden is a tough emotional and mental strain. In order to combat this problem, I walked the path so many writers have. Allow me to point you in the right direction; this is how you deal with the writer’s burdens.

One of the first problems you have no doubt encountered as a writer is making time for writing. With responsibilities taking priority, such as work or family, you are left scrounging for a half-an-hour to work on the book you have in mind. Sometimes, half-an-hour is the best you can get on a good day alone. I am going to give you some advice and solutions to your dilemma, helping you make more time for writing.

 Cyberpunk, a sub-genre of science fiction that is growing in popularity of late. As a writer who is interested in the genre, I was left curious on how to write an investing cyberpunk novel. Having experience in science fiction, I did further research into cyberpunk and have collected some golden advice and guidelines to help you write your cyberpunk novel. Let’s get into it! 

Did you think you could hide it? Perhaps from them, the enemy was never so smart, but not from us. Opportunity is knocking, Doctor, you best open.

There is a strange itch that cannot be scratched, a strange monster within us all. Only mine has red teeth and you will never see them till it's too late

 Your book has an interesting plot and you’re writing plenty in your process. However, you have that feeling at the back of your mind that the book can be improved. Changes could be made in order to make it stand out, to make the writing really stick in the reader's mind. How does one improve one’s writing? Here are ten techniques that will do just that! 

An adventure awaits you traveller! Will you raise your strength above those too fearful?

Something about Cold Street makes it different from any other. So make strange occurrences that leave me...scared

 The protagonist is a difficult character to write. You need to meet the expectations of the reader and at the same time, not be so generic. Afterall, so many protagonists seem to go the same way in writing today. I’m going to show you how to write a protagonist that both fits your plot, and fits their personality. ​Let’s begin! 

An adventure is beginning. A cold man , a strong woman and the forest awaits them both.

 You are preparing to write your book, but your lack of factual depth is apparent. Thus, you have reached the point where you are searching for the right information to back your novel. What happened in certain periods of time? How does this machine work? What is the benefit of putting research into your story? I am going to tell you why! 

The higher you go, the more enemies you make. Some enemies will devote themselves towards your destruction

You’ve experienced it before. Whether you read the first chapter or someone else did, the sense of starting and finishing the novel wasn’t there. You need to grip your reader and you’re only going to do that when you write a great first chapter. Here are five great tips to help you write the first chapter that draws your reader in. 

No matter what, do not, under any circumstances, enter Scratch Hospital

There is evil in this place. It belongs to someone past, but someone still here...

 We have all tried to avoid clichés in our writing. Clichés are overused ideas or tropes in any form of media and to have a clichéd character just feels lazy when you're writing. However, with most ideas already being done-to-death, there comes a time to realize that some clichés are just enjoyable to write and to read. Which is why I will be discussing with you some great clichés in fantasy writing. Let’s check them out! 

To live a full life is not easy, but to live a simple life with a mind that works against you, that is a hell of its own...

The lands have been ruled by a tyrant for too long and as such, a champion has been chosen to free it from the mad monarch